Page 29
As I round the bend on Walnut Avenue, Gemma’s pickup is pulled over onto the side of the road. This location is approximately half a mile from Keaton’s General Store. The wide shoulder provides a safe spot for her to check under the hood. It’s just how I hoped to find her.
After parking behind her old Chevy, I step out with an extra spring in my stride. “Engine trouble?”
There’s a fire in her baby blues when our gazes meet. “Are you tracking my phone?”
I smirk and lean against the front wheel well. “Would that be so bad? Seems you’re in need of assistance.”
Gemma straightens to confront me, abandoning her search for the culprit. “How did you know where I was?”
“Lucky guess.”
And boy, am I reaping the rewards.
I take a moment to admire her beauty. A braid secures her golden hair into a long rope. She’s still wearing her work shirt and the baggy material conceals her curves. The denim shorts that are stuck to her ass like a fantasy snag my focus. Her toned thighs are bare and on display, allowing me to imagine her spread wide while I—
Gemma suddenly tucks her left leg behind her right. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
My throat is dry as the desire to touch her demands action. “Like I want to make you mine?”
“More like you’ve lost the plot.”
“Because you take my breath away and all I can do is stare.”
“Okay, pump the brakes on that crazy train. Is this your doing?” She motions to Big Red’s broken down shit-uation.
“Why would I mess with your precious pickup?”
Other than the fact it’s a death trap waiting to happen and I’ve put together a romantic outing for us. The latter is a surprise, though.
Which is why her arms lift in a helpless motion. “Great question. Probably to satisfy your hero complex.”
“I’ll admit that I thoroughly enjoy coming to your rescue,” I drawl. “The role of a white knight was lost on me until now.”
“Clearly,” she deadpans. “Did you have a divine premonition telling you to show up at exactly the right moment?”
“Sure did. Your shift just ended and you were bound to be heading home.” But my smile widens to reveal the truth.
In my defense, this clunker is holding on by a horse hair and a prayer. All I had to do was jiggle a spark plug wire and it stalled on her without much of a fight.
Gemma tips her face to the clouds. “Why do you insist on sabotaging me?”
That sobers me like a dunk in an ice bath. “It’s meant to be a grand gesture. I’m about to whisk you off into the sunset.”
“Good grief,” she mutters under her breath. “I’m going to be on babysitting duty until Wren turns eighteen.”
“Why?”
“After I thanked you for the book, my sister bet me that you’d do something extreme to hold my attention. I’m pretty sure whatever you did to Big Red’s engine qualifies.”
My lips twitch, but I fight the grin trying to form. “The odds were terrible, Wildflower. You should know better than to bet against me.”
“Appreciate the completely unnecessary reminder.” She pops her hip out. “Can you fix what you broke or do I need a tow?”
“I’ll handle it after.”
Gemma goes still. “After what?”
“Our date. I told you this is a grand gesture. And when we’re done, I’ll get Big Red running again.”
